Cedar Is the Fuel.
We Remove It Zone
by Zone.
Ashe juniper doesn't just burn — it explodes. Volatile oils vaporize ahead of the flame front, canopy fire travels faster than ground crews can respond, and a single cedar thicket can carry fire from the property line to your structure in minutes. ClearGround clears it zone by zone, mulches it in place, and proves every foot of compliance in 3D.
Ashe Juniper Burns
Unlike Anything Else
in the Hill Country.
Cedar — what locals call Ashe juniper — is the dominant wildfire fuel source across Travis, Hays, Blanco, and Burnet counties. It grows aggressively, crowds out native vegetation, and creates the continuous canopy that lets ground fire climb into the treetops.
The volatile oils in cedar foliage vaporize ahead of the flame front, meaning fire travels faster than the visible burn line suggests. A property that looks "mostly cleared" with cedar still in Zone 2 has not created defensible space — it has created a fuse.
Cedar Removal That
Starts With a Scan.
Most clearing crews start with a machine. We start with a drone — because you can't build defensible space to a standard you haven't measured. Every step below is a data checkpoint, not a field call.
DJI Mavic 3 Enterprise RTK + Emlid RS3 base station. We fly your property before anything moves. Output: centimeter-accurate 3D model showing cedar density, canopy coverage, dead fuel accumulation, and structure proximity. Zone boundaries are calculated from this data — not estimated on-site.
From the scan data, we define your Zone 1, Zone 2, and Zone 3 boundaries, identify highest-density cedar concentrations, flag ladder fuel corridors, and set the clearing sequence. Your scope is locked from data before we mobilize — no day-rate surprises, no field changes.
CAT 299D3 XE with FAE mulching head processes cedar zone by zone — standing trees, deadfall, and accumulated ground debris all processed into mulch in a single pass. Nothing leaves the site. No burn permits. No hauling fees. Native oaks, elms, and desirable trees are flagged and avoided from the scan data.
When clearing is complete, we fly the site again. The post-clear RTK model confirms every zone boundary, measures cleared acreage, verifies structure set-backs, and generates the before/after comparison. This is your documentation — not our word.
Three Zones.
RTK-Verified.
Not Estimated.
Defensible space is a zoned system — each zone has different clearing requirements based on distance from the structure. ClearGround verifies every zone boundary from RTK measurements, not a walk-off or visual estimate. Zone compliance is confirmed in the 3D model before we leave.
RTK-verified zone boundaries · Confirmed in 3D model
Mulched In Place — Not Burned, Not Hauled.
Most Hill Country clearing still relies on burn piles or haul-off. Both add cost, time, and risk. Here's why ClearGround's in-place mulching is better for your property and your timeline.
An Unbiased, RTK-Verified View
of Your Fire Risk.
WE SCAN THE THREAT
BEFORE WE RESPOND TO IT.
RTK drone flight over your property generates a centimeter-accurate 3D model of cedar density, canopy coverage, dead fuel layers, and structure proximity. You see your fire risk quantified before a single machine moves — and the scope is built from that data, not a field estimate.
ZONE 1 FIRST.
EVERY PASS DOCUMENTED.
CAT 299D3 XE with FAE mulching head works from the scan data — Zone 1 cleared and confirmed before Zone 2 work begins. Cedar is processed in place, mulch layer deposited at ground level. Native trees flagged in the pre-scan are avoided with precision. No guessing which oaks to keep.
YOU SEE THE ZONES CLEAR.
NOT JUST THE CREW WORKING.
On multi-day projects, milestone RTK scans update the 3D model at each zone completion. You see how many acres of Zone 1 are cleared, what remains in Zone 2, and where we are against the original scope — from your phone. No check-in calls. Just live data.
EVERY ZONE MEASURED.
BEFORE WE LEAVE.
Post-clear RTK scan confirms every zone boundary against the pre-scan baseline. Cleared acreage is measured and documented. Native trees are verified in their original positions. The before/after comparison is built from matching scan angles — same resolution, same coordinate system, irrefutable.
YOUR PROPERTY. PROVEN.
SHAREABLE. PERMANENT.
A georeferenced 3D model hosted on DroneDeploy. Zone compliance maps, before/after comparison, and a formatted insurance documentation report. Forward the link to your insurer, your HOA, your county fire marshal, or your landscaper. No account needed to view. No expiration.
Built for Hill Country Cedar.
Every machine chosen for dense fuel loads, steep terrain, and structure-adjacent precision — with a drone system that documents every acre before and after.
High-flow compact track loader with FAE mulching attachment. Processes standing cedar, deadfall, and accumulated ground debris in a single pass. Handles dense Hill Country fuel loads and steep terrain without disturbing adjacent native vegetation.
Survey-grade drone with Real-Time Kinematic positioning. Maps cedar density, canopy coverage, slope exposure, and structure proximity at centimeter-level accuracy — before clearing begins and after it's complete.
Multi-band GNSS receiver providing real-time RTK corrections independent of cellular networks. Critical for remote Hill Country properties where NTRIP coverage fails — full survey-grade accuracy anywhere on your land.
What Your Insurer
Actually Needs to See.
Texas insurers and county fire marshals have moved past accepting "I cleared it" as defensible space proof. Georeferenced documentation showing measured zone compliance is what satisfies modern policy renewal requirements — not a bill from the clearing crew.
ClearGround's deliverable package is formatted for this standard. Every document is georeferenced, timestamped, and tied to RTK measurements any third party can verify.
Cedar Removal &
Defensible Space — FAQ
Mulching eliminates standing cedar as a fuel source and removes the canopy ladder that carries ground fire into the treetops. The mulch layer itself is not a significant fire fuel — it's dense, moisture-retaining, and doesn't carry flame the way standing or dry brush does. It reduces fire risk substantially within the cleared zones.
Yes — and this is exactly where the pre-scan matters. We identify and flag every native oak, elm, and desirable tree in the 3D model before clearing begins. The CAT 299D3 XE is compact enough to work precisely around protected trees, and the scan data tells the operator exactly where they are.
A 5-acre defensible space project with moderate cedar density typically runs 2–3 days including pre-clear scan, clearing, and post-clear documentation. Dense cedar or steep terrain extends the timeline. The pre-mobilization scan gives us an accurate day estimate before we commit.
ClearGround's package includes a georeferenced 3D model, RTK zone measurements, and a formatted compliance report. This is what carriers are increasingly requiring — verifiable data, not a contractor letter. We haven't had a carrier reject the format yet, but if yours has specific requirements, tell us upfront and we'll build the scope to match.
Yes — Ashe juniper is persistent. Young cedar regrowth will appear within 1–2 years in cleared zones. This is why annual maintenance matters. A maintenance contract keeps your defensible space cleared, your documentation current, and your insurance compliance continuous — at a fraction of the initial clearing cost.
Travis, Hays, Blanco, Burnet, Gillespie, and Llano counties — the core Hill Country WUI zone. If you're outside these and within 2 hours of Austin, contact us — we evaluate extended service area projects case by case based on scope and mobilization distance.
The Scan Is Free.
The Data Is Yours.
Book a free cedar risk assessment. We fly your property, map the fuel load in 3D, and show you exactly where your defensible space gaps are — before you commit to anything.
Free Site Scan · No Obligation · 48-Hour Mobilization · Hill Country TX